Random Tuesday--One Week To Christmas

Are you ready for Christmas?  It's only one week away. I think we only need to get a couple of stocking things.  And take care of the Big Red Guy's stuff.  Now on to the random:

• I really do love the classic kid Christmas movies.  Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Charlie Brown.  These make it seem like Christmas to me.
• We get to do a whole day of Christmas movies on Saturday. Well, that afternoon any way.  A Christmas Story, While You Were Sleeping, Donovan's Reef, Scrooged, The Santa Clause, we have so many to watch.
• We will be doing Norad Santa Watch on Monday.  Turbo loves checking out the locations of Santa during the day.
• I'm so looking forward to the winter break we have next week.  Gotta love working at a university.
• It's supposed to snow tomorrow.  I had the boys do a snow dance.  It will at least look white outside by Wednesday.  With any luck.  Nick really want to figure out how his truck handles on snowy roads--he needs an excuse to use the 4WD in the new truck.
• I need to bake cookies this weekend with the boys. Santa needs something to eat.  Wouldn't want him wasting away to nothing.
• I need to get my annual viewing of White Christmas in.  Maybe tonight after the boys go to bed.  They are not huge fans of old musicals.
• I'm looking forward to the dark chocolate turtles that I always get in my stocking.  They are one of the best things about Christmas.
• Kmart is rushing the season, just a bit:

Yes, that is Christmas stuff next to Valentine's Day stuff.

So what's your random? Link with Stacy and check out more random.

And link with Shawn and Impulsive for Talk To Us Tuesday.

Confession! Merry Christmas!!

I confess:

• I am just about ready for Christmas.
• Packages are wrapped.
• We actually sent Christmas cards.
• We are on break for the next week.
• All that's left to go is some baking.
• And I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! 

WWTK--5 things about Christmas

So this week's We Want To Know is more of a list than questions (Crazymama got a bit caught up in the season and didn't get questions asked, so therefore no answers can be made).  So here are the choices for lists of 5 things:
A.  What do you want for Christmas.
B.  What do you have to get done before the holiday?
C.  Your Christmas Traditions.
D.  5 favorite Christmas songs.

I think I'm going to go with C.  Christmas traditions.

1. We make cookies on Christmas Eve day so we have fresh cookies to leave out for Santa.  Usually we make chocolate chip cookies, those go best with the Christmas milk (egg nog) that are left for Santa.
2. We go cut our tree down in the forest as a family.  When Bruiser was a baby we didn't get this one done, but we did this year and it's nice to have a real tree again.
3. We spend Christmas Eve at Nick's folk's house.  They make a good dinner and the kids get to open their presents and it takes the edge off the anticipation of Christmas.
4. We check Santa's progress on Santa Tracker through the day Christmas Eve.
5. We have all the grandparents over for Christmas breakfast together.  That way they get to see the kids open presents and spend time with out us having to make a big meal later.  This year we are going to go see a cousin of Nick's in the afternoon.  The kids will have fun playing and we always have a good time when we get together.

So those are some of the Christmas traditions we have, what are yours?

Go join up with the Lovely Mamarazzi (currently on bloggy break), Crazymama, and Queso.

Random Tuesday Before Christmas

So, everyone is all ready for Christmas right?  No?  Well that makes a bunch of us.

• This head cold is kicking me in the head.  My sinuses hate me.  I just hope it moves on quickly.
• Turbo had a stomach bug over the weekend.  Guess who he shared it with?
• I still have presents to wrap.
• I'm hoping for snow.
• Turbo got Pirate Farkle for Christmas from a friend of ours.  It's a really fun game to play.
• My brain is just not with it.  
• Santa should be pretty good to everyone this year.  I know the boys are going to have a very good Christmas.
• Turbo tried to tell me yesterday that he thought that Santa sometimes told parents that he could not make it and for them to give the presents.  I told him that nope, Santa exists.  I still believe in Santa.  If you don't believe in Santa, you don't get presents.  We are hoping he will continue to profess belief even if he doesn't, for the sake of Bruiser if nothing else.  We are appealing to his greed mostly.

Well that about covers what I have today.  It's not much, so go see Stacy for more random.

And go see Shawn and Impulsive Addict for Talking to you Tuesday.

Christmas Fun!

A christmas Meme stolen borrowed from Beth at Living a Goddess Life.  I have seen it pop up on several other blog, all admitting they stole borrowed it from somewhere else.  Anystealing, here goes:

1. Egg nog or Hot Chocolate?  Hot chocolate.  Egg nog gets too thick.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?  Wraps--in paper that the boys haven't seen.
3. Colored lights or tree/house or white?  Colored lights are more fun on the tree.  But I appreciate white lights outside.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.
5. When do you put your decorations up?  Usually by the first weekend in December.  We usually do it when we get the tree.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish?  I like the cookies...oh you mean dish, like for a meal?  Then it would have to be prime rib.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?  Hanging out at home with my family for Christmas.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Santa still comes to visit us.  If you don't believe, you don't get presents.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas eve?  It depends.  If we open presents at the grandparents house no.  But if not, then maybe one.  That mom chooses.  I think this year, pajamas.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?  We get it set in the stand, put the lights on then the ornaments, then the strings of silver beads.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?  Love it.  Christmas is meant to be white, not brown and gray.
12. Can you ice skate?  Nope.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?  Well the gift I am still using are the cross country skis I got when I was 13.  May not have been my absolute favorite, but they have been the longest lasting.
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?  Family and spending time with them.
15. What is your favorite Holiday dessert?  Cookies!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?  Checking out the Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve day.
17. What tops your tree?  A home made star.  Nick and Turbo made it a few years ago.
18. Do you prefer giving or receiving?  I like giving.  Getting isn't bad, but it's fun to see someone be happy with the perfect thing I got them.
19. Candy canes: Yuck or yum?  Some candy canes are good, some not so much.
20. Favorite Christmas show?  I like White Christmas, but A Christmas Story runs a close second.
21. Saddest Christmas song?  Blue Christmas.
22. What is your favorite Christmas song?  I like so many of them.  I'd have an easier time finding one I didn't like.

Merry Christmas!

And the Countdown is On...

So who's ready for Christmas?
Just wanted to throw that out there.  Seems to be speeding up on us rather quickly, doesn't it?
Nick and I got our shopping done this weekend.  Well, the shopping we could do together.  I have no idea if Nick has gotten any shopping done.  You know, for me.  He'll pull it off, but it always amazes me that he does.
Now we have wrapping to do.  Both for stuff we are giving the boys and for Santa.  To bad that by the end of the evening, I feel too wiped out to do anything.
Turbo is counting down the days.  I have lots planned to get through Friday and Saturday. Friday we are going to have to go to the Chocolate Cellar, Wrap the present he got for Bruiser, play some video games and watch a couple of Christmas movies.  On Saturday, we are making chocolate chip cookies, brownies, checking on the location of Santa on Santa Tracker, going over to Papa and Nana's for dinner, then going to look at lights before coming home and shuffling boys off to bed so Santa can make his deliveries.  With any luck this will keep us busy enough to help the time move along relatively quickly.  Anything to avoid the cries of How much longer? and Can we open a present now?
Having to work this next week is going to be difficult.  It seems so mundane to go to work.  And since it's so close to the holidays, no one is there.  I really hope this is a shorter week than expected.
To top it off, Nick and I are flirting around with a head cold.  My nose is runny and Nick just sounds really stuffed up.  Turbo had a minor stomach bug over the weekend.  I guess if we have to get sick, it's better to be sick now than this coming weekend.
So, I hope everyone is close to being ready for Christmas.  I know we are--almost!

It's Only How Long Til Christmas?!

This weekend was fun.  No, I really mean fun.  We did lots and it went by too quickly and wait, how many days til Christmas?
We had cousins over so their mom and dad could go do the necessary Christmas shopping.  We had dinner with them afterward, tacos.  Cause tacos work for everyone, except small boys and possibly a small girl.  They did end up eating--after promises of no sleepover if no dinner was eaten.  Dinner was eaten.  Then Turbo headed home with them for a sleep over.  I got to head over and get him Sunday morning, got a good breakfast out of it though.
Nick headed out ice fishing Sunday morning.  He did catch a fish which his friend then smoked for us.  It was really good.  Unfortunately, early last week Nick hurt his ankle again.  As it is not improving by staying off it and keeping it elevated, he is probably going to have to have more doctor help for his ankle.  I really hope he can get something done about it.  It's tough to watch him be in pain.
 I had a friend over Sunday night and we made cookies, lots and lots of cookies.  A batch of candy cane cookies and a batch of spritz cookies.  They both turned out better than I thought they would.  I got approval for them from the guys.  Now all I have to make are chocolate chip cookies for Santa.  They go better with milk.
Then it hit me.  Christmas is only 13 days away.  It is speeding toard us like a train.  I only hope I can get out of the way.  No one wants to get run over by the train of Christmas.  Riding it is much more fun.

One of Turbo's ornaments.

A proud Bruiser and his Monster Trucks.

My handsome Turbo all dudded up for the program.

Hope everyone had a productive weekend and are getting ready for Christmas.  It's a coimin', ready or not!

Christmas--The Picture Edition

I may have mentioned that Christmas was good to us this year.  Here is the proof.

Bruiser loved his rocking horse.  He knew exactly what to do with it.  Rock 'em Cowboy!  Yee Haa!

Turbo with just about all his loot.  The morning was a jumble of presents, what came form whom got lost in the scads of stuff he got.

Proof I was there too.  Bruiser loved the little people farm stuff he got.  Without any coordination his uncles got him a tractor set and we got him a farmyard set. 

Turbo and I made a gingerbread house that lasted from Christmas Eve day until about 10:00 am Christmas day, when it got broken.  Pretty good for our first attempt.(I will admit, the house was already assembled when we got it.)

Bruiser snuggled with his new Scooby Doo, or BeDoo! as he calls him.

So, as happy as Christmas made us, I'm glad it's over until next year.  I'm looking forward to the next year with great anticipation.  Bring it on 2011!

Christmas Hangover or Something like that

Christmas was good to us.  Really good.  Santa was even better to the boys.  Gotta love a good Santa.
Bruiser got a lot of really good toys.  And he was all about opening presents.  As long as there was a bit of paper for him to grab.  He got a stuffed Scooby, a rocking horse and lots of little people toys.  He has played with all of them.  And he has worn his new hat and he kept it on--win for Mom and Dad.
Turbo, well he got a bit spoiled this year.  He got lots of K'nex, Legos, and a couple of video games.  He also got a toy Toothless with Hiccup fo Santa.  He has already put together all his new Legos and still has some K'nex to play with but we have a week for him to really get into those--Bruiser has to be otherwise occupied, he like Turbo's toys.
Nick and I did pretty well too.  Nick got me a very pretty cat necklace that sort of commemorates Tinkerbell, a couple of new cutting boards, a picture frame to fill with pictures for my office, a new comforter for the bed, and a small coffee pot for my office.  I was very happy with my Christmas.  Nick got a new wallet, a hunting knife, a Wii game,  new fleece vest, and a new coffee cup.  We also got a gift card to a great restaurant and babysitting to go with it so we can go out without the kids.  Score one for us!  Love the grandparents.
We had an unexpected bonus for Christmas--we had heavy fog and got a frosty white Christmas.  It was beautiful.
I have yet to get to downloading pictures.  I'll get some posted soon.  I'm lucky to get to posting anything.  Vacation is wonderful, but busy what with chasing two little boys around.  Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,
I have been quite good this year.  No really!  There are just a few things I would really like to get this year.  If you have them in your bag, I'll gladly take them off your hands.

1. More patience.  I have two little boys and one big one.  A bit more patience would be appreciated by both them and me.
2. The ability to yell less.  I think the first request will help with this one.  I would like to yell less at my boys.
3. Time.  More time to spend making cookies, playing in the snow, just playing would be nice to have.
4. A maid to make the time for playing easier to come by.
5. And if those things are too hard to get under the tree, just send something sparkly.  That makes up for a lot.

So there you have it Santa.  Do you think you can help me out here?  See you in a few days.

Merry Christmas to the guy who never gets Christmas eve off.

VandyJ

Image from google imaages

RTT: Christmas is just too close.

 
 Random it up people.
Keely is hosting, go check out the other random cause it's Tuesday you know.

• Our weather has been a bit nutty.  Last week we were warm(for us--40's people, not normal) then the temps hit the basement--like single digits.  I'm lucky no one is sick in our house--knock on wood.  And this morning we got up to snow.  Like seven inches of the stuff.  Hah--the weather said 1-3 inches, but what do they know?  It's still snowing but we only have a 60% chance for another 1-3 inches today.  I think they need a window at the weather station.
• Are you ready for Christmas?  I think I'm ready.  But then I remember I have Santa cookies to make, a gift for my mom to get still and there are only three and half more days to shop and bake.  Shoot me now.  At least Nick is in town.  His trip got canceled postponed until January.  Crazy weather again.
• Turbo is looking forward to watching Santa's progress on Christmas eve on the NORAD Santa Tracker site.  It gets cooler every year.
• And Nick's mom put us onto this site--Portable North Pole or PNP.  You can set up a free video for your kids from Santa.  Turbo thought it was pretty cool that Santa knew what he was for Halloween and that he skied too.  Go check it out, it is pretty neat.
• Now I just have to figure out what cookies we are making for Santa and if I have all the ingredients.  Chocolate chip may be in order, they're Santa's favorite, I know.
• Bruiser has been exercising his use of the word NO!  Even when he means yes.  Anyone want an almost two year old--he comes with toys? (I can be reasonably sure no one will take me up on this one--Nick has been offering Turbo for the same deal for years and no one has bitten yet.)
• ANd in more weather realted news--I biffed it in slow motion this morning.  It's what comes from ice under snow.  I'm sure I looked totally graceful as my butt hit the ground.

Now go see Keely, She'd like cookies. So if you have some to spare, share and check out the other random on this Tuesday before the madness that is Christmas.

Quiet Weekend--Calm Before the Storm.

Well, last weekend was a bit dull.  Which is a good thing since next weekend will be beyond busy and activity filled.  I think the majority of the shopping is done--except for my mom.  Still not sure what to get her exactly.  The thing she asked for is really hard to find here in our small town and I'm not even sure where to find it online.  So I will keep thinking about that one.   And we get to go to the chocolate shop Christmas eve day and get the candy we need for the stockings.  And for me.
I got to go to a grown up Christmas party for my work.  It was a great party and I had a better time than I expected.  I got to wear my new red heels and I looked pretty good.  Nick cleaned up well and we got an evening out without the kiddos.  Good food too.
I baked this weekend, but not to much, just a couple of loaves of pumpkin spice bread.  Tonight we will be making rice crispy treats again.  Nick is going out of town for field work Tuesday through Thursday, so I'm sending some goodies with him.  He gets to go stay in a condo and snowmobile to the sample sight.  Poor guy, tough to have those work requirements.  He's gonna freeze his butt off, but he'll have fun doing it.
And now for some cute little boys:

A rare moment of stillness from Turbo.

I like chocolate cookies!  Can you tell?

Mom and the boys.

Wednesday Hodgepodge--That Christmas Feeling

 Hodgepodge time again.  Answer the questions and link up with Joyce.


1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'?  There are all sorts of ways this one could go.  For our family it's pretty much what Turbo said last night while watching A Charlie Brown Christmas--The Christmas feeling is giving and getting and spending time with family.  Pretty good for a seven year old to remember the giving too.

2. What sits atop your tree (s)? Why?  We have a foil covered star that Turbo and Nick made a few years ago.  Nick was tired of the angel on the tree so he and Turbo spent an afternoon making a star.  I went and got them stick on sparkles and there you have it.

3. When was the last time you gave yourself a pat on the back?  I do this every morning on the way to work when I get the dishes done, kids fed, husband up, my self up and ready for work and sometimes the crockpot going or any number of other chores that seem to get done better in the morning than at night.

4. Which of your senses is most sensitive this time of year?  My sense of smell.  Christmas smells are wonderful and I think about the wax figures my mom brought out every year that smelled so wonderful.  A also love burning candles with the scents of apple, cinnamon, and other Christmas smells.

5. What do you have too much of in your kitchen?  Counter clutter.  But putting away lots of it in the cupboards doesn't work real well because Bruiser can get into those cupboards and pulls stuff out all the time.

6. What do you do for meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Big meal? Breakfast tradition? Open the cookie tins and have at it? We usually have Christmas Eve with Nick's folks, ham, the fixin's and everything and open presents.  Christmas morning we do breakfast/brunch with Nick's folks and my mom at our house.  Then we get to be lazy bums for the rest of the day and let Turbo and Bruiser play with their new toys and stuff.

7. What is the best thing about winter?  I love the snow.  I like getting out in it and cross country skiing, or really just walking in a deep snow is sort of relaxing for me.  I also love snuggling up at home and watching it snow--makes me feel all safe and cozy.

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Nothing makes time go slower than waiting for a vacation.  Turbo was sure today was Thursday and tomorrow was Friday.  He was a bit disappointed that today was only Wednesday.  I would have been only too happy for today to be Thursday--one closer day to my vacation too.

RTT:December's Slipping Away.

Time to throw out all those thoughts that flutter randomly around in your head all week. This will leave room for more random thoughts for next week.  Anyway, grab the button (it's all pretty and purple up there) and go link with Keely.

• The wind has been trying to blow us away here in good old Wyoming.  Gusts as high as 40 MPH and chilly too.  We also have ice, lots of ice.  I don't like either the wind or the ice.
• Wow, it's the middle of December.  I'm not ready.  OK, I'm mostly ready for Christmas, but not ready for 2010 to be over yet--where has the time gone?  I really have been blinking to much lately.  I'm missing whole chunks of time--it just goes by so fast, and yet so abysmally slowly too.
• We had a meeting with Turbo's school yesterday.  His reading abilities are lower than the benchmarks for second grade.  He is improving, so that's good news.  It helps that he likes his teacher this year, much better than last year's teacher.  He's growing up too.  Now if we can just improve the reading some more and get him to stay on task and not daydream.  The kid can space out in a heart beat.  We are working on it.  Is it a good thing when the teacher and the principal know your son as a social butterfly?
• I need to figure out what I'm baking for Santa Claus to have Christmas Eve.  And Turbo volunteered to take Rice Crispy treats to school on Thursday.  Good thing Nick knows how to make them, cause I don't do so good with them.
• Sunday evening Nick was siting on the couch and being a guy, he farted.  Bruiser was walking by and heard it.  He immediately made a raspberry sound very similar to the fart.  They really are parrots at that age.

That covers the random for me.  Check back next week for more. Next week should be filled with Christmas craziness.

A Shopping We Will Go

So Nick and I went Christmas shopping this weekend.  We braved the crowds(although only Toys R Us was jammed) and added to the economy.  We didn't do too bad really. 
The hardest one to shop for, oddly enough, was Bruiser.  The kid just doesn't have much toy preference yet.  He isn't into Thomas yet, does not watch lots of the standard kiddie TV, so no Dora or Diego.  No Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, or Handy Manny.  And he's a bit young for Duplo blocks.  So what do you get an almost two year old--and we have the added fun of remembering he has a birthday a month after Christmas.  We settled on a tool box with a hammer and screwdriver and several wooden bolts and nuts, a Fisher Price Little People set, a new hat and mittens, and we will be getting a rocking horse for him.  And we also have to give ideas to the grandparents.  Fun.
Turbo on the other hand is way easy to shop for.  Legos and some video games and the kid will be content.  We have gotten him some other stuff, but Santa is bringing the Lego stuff.  About the only thing I still want to get him is one of the new lego board games--like Minotaur or Creationary. 
My shopping for Nick is done, but since he reads my blog (Hi Hon!) I won't list what I got him.  Suffice to say he will love what I got him--even if he inadvertently tried to look for something I already got him.  Just goes to show great minds think alike.

Bruiser loves boxes--maybe that could be his Christmas present.  It is cheaper.

Turbo did this this weekend--almost three miles.  AND next to no complaints--awesome!

Well that about covers our weekend.  Christmas is looming closer, I have a week and a half before my Christmas break and Turbo is done with school the end of this week.  Wow, where has December gone?

Christmas is Nothing Without the Tree

Linda at Second Cup of Coffee is hosting a get together to show off our Christmas Tree and special ornament.  I don't have a picture of my special ornament but I do have a picture of the tree.

There is our tree in all it's glory.  We use colored lights when we have a real tree but this little prelit tree is working out alright since time and weather conspired against us in the real tree department.  At least I don't have to remember to water this one.
I'll try to add a picture of a special ornament later.

What a Weekend

So we had an interesting weekend.
First, Nick and I can be known as certifiably nuts.  We signed up for a four-wheeler safety course.  In December, in Wyoming.  The temperature outside was a balmy 24 degrees when we arrived at the course location.  Even with multiple layers, I was frozen before we even got on the machines.  Then we went in circles, a lot.  But I learned some useful tips and was able to do everything to pass, so both Nick and I are certified safe riders of four wheelers.  We have a card to prove it.
It took about three or four hours to really feel warm after we finished 5 hours in the cold.  Then we went home and made a fire in the wood stove and snuggled in the basement and hung out with the boys.  A lazy end to a busy day.
Sunday we were going to go to the mountains and get a tree.  But the weather kept us in town, so we went with a tree from Nick's folks.  The kind that is prelit and you put together out of the box.  Somehow I feel we are cheating, but I didn't want to wait until next weekend to get a tree.  It is standing, lit but not decorated in out living room.  Tonight we will decorate. 
Last night we watched some christmas movies to get more in the spirit.  We watched Rudolph and The Santa Clause.  Both good movies.  I need to get out the kid movies we have for Turbo and Bruiser--although Bruiser is not that interested yet.  Turbo requested The Santa Clause.  He loves Christmas movies and would watch them all year if he could.  Nick just thinks it's odd the watch Christmas movies in April.  So I put them away and haul them out for the Christmas season. 
Next weekend we are going Christmas shopping for the boys with friends.  It should be a good time.  Now I just have to get Turbo to write his Christmas list for Santa.  I have stuff for him, but I need to know what he wants so Santa can bring him at least some of what he wants.
Yesterday at Walmart they had an area set up for pictures with Santa.  Turbo wanted to do it but neither boy was dressed for a trip to Santa's lap.  Sweats do not make for a good picture.  Maybe next time.
Well that was our weekend--how was your's?

Christmas Recap

In case you were wondering what the lights were like at my FIL's house here is just a taste. They made the local newspaper this year. Well done Papa.



Can you see the anticipation on his face? The wait was killing him.


Bruiser's favorite part was watching Turbo and eating the wrapping paper and a bow or two.


Let me out!!


Well that is a taste of our Christmas celebration. It's out of my system now. I will move on the Wintry stuff now.

Ch-ch-ch-anges

Turbo lost his left front tooth New Year's Eve day. The Tooth Fairy had to work New Year's Eve. He has a slight whistle when he talks now. The other front tooth is loose and will probably be gone by Valentine's Day. We had to help it come out because the grown up tooth was coming in behind it. Thank goodness for oragel. Nick pulled it out and when it was done Turbo was really excited. The Tooth Fairy was pretty generous with him, cause he was so brave getting it out and all. Started the year off right for Turbo.

Turbo than raided his bank and took his loot and went to the store to get himself a toy. You know, cause the Christmas stuff was old news by now. He got some more Bakugon thingies. I'm not real sure what Bakugon is--I think it a game of some sort but I'm fuzzy on the details. It's really cool for first graders though. He's happy and they keep him occupied.

Turbo is being more helpful around the house and with Nick. He is also a cross country skiing fool. He looks so cute when he skis. We have also turned a corner when it come to board games. Turbo has graciously lost some games recently. No crying, getting mad or yelling because he didn't win. Guys, this is major. This kid hated to lose. Now I'm wondering who swapped him when I wasn't looking. It does make playing games more fun, and makes playing them easier.

Well on to Bruiser. He can stand on his own for up to 30 seconds now. He's letting go and standing all the time, anywhere he happens to be. He waves at us when he feels like it. He is playing with his toys more. He really likes his piano. He gives me mini concerts all the time.

Bruiser is pretty good at feeding himself and prefers our food over baby food. He will taste any food held up to his lips before opening his mouth just to make sure he wants to eat it. It's challenging to make meals with at least one thing he can eat. If we don't, it gets very loud because he yells for his share and he knows if the food comes from us or not. He's also good at spitting out food he doesn't want to eat.

Bruiser can really cover the ground too. Man that kid can crawl. He has radar for the remotes too. He likes to push the buttons then see what the TV does. And he like to attempt to call Timbuktu on the phone(at least you can't call long distance on our land line). And nothing gets in the way of Bruiser when he is on a mission. He will scale us, the dog or any pillows or laundry baskets in his way. He just puts his head down and goes. My shins should be all bruised from his head hitting them when he gets to me. Then he will sit and close his eyes so I will pick him up.

For the whole family we got a 32 inch flat screen TV(should come today-Woot). Ebay is the best. We were down a TV and this gives us back our movie watching ares in our basement. Because of this Nick completely rearranged the family room in our basement. I'm not sure I like it but he is pleased with it and since he spends more time there than I do I'll just let it go.

And so the changes continue around our house. What's changing for all of you?

New Year's Eve at the Jones's

We started a new tradition last year at our house. I was eight months pregnant and huge. I could not eat a lot at a time. We planned on having lots of seafood for New Year’s Eve and I knew I would not be able to eat it all in one sitting.

What developed was a three course meal that stretched from about 2:00pm until 9:00pm. We prepared the first course—appetizers, shrimp and scallops with a veggie grazing tray—and then ate it and cleaned up the dishes. Around five we made lobster tails and baked potatoes, again, cleaning up after we enjoyed them. Around 8:00pm, we made crab legs and bread (to soak up some of the butter). We had time to clean up from this and then we watched the ball drop in New York with Turbo. He crashed about 10:30pm.

Doing the meal all stretched out this way made it so I could enjoy all the food without feeling overstuffed. Clean up was a breeze and we were able to enjoy sitting together to eat and had no pressure to finish cooking everything at the same time. It was great.

This year we are planning on doing the same thing. A long stretched out meal of several courses with lots of time between them. Turbo will get to stay up until midnight if he makes it. We have sparkling cider for him and will have champagne for Nick and I to toast—even if it is for midnight in New York and not here where we live.

Bruiser will be kept on his schedule this year but I think it will be OK for him, he’s not really aware of what is going on anyway. He will get to try some of what we are having and will be content with that.

We don’t have many other New Year’s traditions. I try to take the tree down New Year’s Day or shortly there after. Nick likes to try to go ice fishing. Turbo likes to go with him, but freezing on the ice is not really my thing. I don’t care how comfortable Nick claims the ice hut is.

Mostly, the New Year is more about our family and being together than Christmas is. We get to be just us without the pressure of grandparents or anyone else that we have to entertain. I like the New Year better than other holidays because it is low stress for us.

On a side note, there is a blue moon on New Year's Eve this year. Hope the weather is clear enough for everyone to enjoy it.

What do you do for the New Year? Resolutions will be discussed tomorrow, (cause I haven't really thought about them yet)